Building Together: Pittsburgh’s Community-Powered Showcase to Elevate Women Founders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pittsburgh, PA, May 3, 2024 –

Pittsburgh is home to companies not watching the future unfold but building it. Chloe Capital, a Movement-driven venture capital firm with a national investment lens, invites the Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania community to join us for our INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH FOUNDER SHOWCASE (InvestInWomenPittsburgh.eventbrite.com) on Wednesday, May 8 from 5-7:30pm at Google Pittsburgh. 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Invest In Women x Pittsburgh, a dynamic accelerator in collaboration with Ascender and powered by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, empowers emerging entrepreneurs by providing vital resources and unwavering support to fuel the growth of their ventures. 

Cohort members get multiple 1:1 national investor networking opportunities, mentor sessions, and a growth kit equipped with thousands of dollars in discounts to vendors and service providers to power up their progress.  

MORE THAN A SHOWCASE

The Founder Showcase promises a glimpse into the remarkable progress and groundbreaking projects undertaken by these driven individuals, offering a prime opportunity to connect with fellow founders, visionary investors, and influential members of the business landscape.

Growth for any startup requires investors and community members to collectively open doors of rooms, people, and ideas to help expedite their growth. On  May 8th 2024, the Invest In Women program invites Pittsburgh and surrounding areas to the Founder Showcase, at Google in Bakery Square. This is more than just a showcase; this is a new way to elevate founders by drawing from our collective expertise to power up our founders to reach their next milestones. 

ENGAGE WITH NON-LOCAL VISIONARY INVESTORS

In addition to hearing from the five talented cohort companies, featured investors for INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH include Pia Sawhney (Armory Square Ventures), Ali Motroni (Align Impact Capital), Lauryn Poyser (Salesforce Venture Impact Fund), Ariella Frank (New Stack Ventures), and Heidi Diamond (Diamond Enterprises). Each of these Co-Investors is from outside of the Pittsburgh ecosystem and brings expertise and interest in empowering a more diverse, interconnected ecosystem. These out-of-town funders bring in outside perspective, visibility, and capital to the Pittsburgh region. Attend to meet them during the program and reception. 

The featured Co-Investor Panelists will also engage with the community through a reverse pitch: a featured quick pitch about their funding/investment thesis, industry focus, and opportunities to connect. 

Investors and community members are invited to the Founder Showcase, which will take place May 8, 2024 at 5 p.m. (et) at Google Pittsburgh, located at 6425 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Advanced registration is required.

Space is limited. RSVP > InvestInWomenPittsburgh.eventbrite.com

MEET THE CHANGEMAKERS.

The founders selected to participate in INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH are:

ANNE GERMAIN, PhD | NOCTEM Health, CEO & Founder

noctemhealth.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

NOCTEM Health is creating digital solutions that drive patient workflows and scale the best and safest behavioral sleep treatments by 12X. Carpe Noctem!

ANNA LI | Korion Health, CEO & Co-Founder

korionhealth.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Korion Health is enabling at-home health screenings in a technically and culturally competent way to reduce preventable deaths from heart disease.

DESTENIE NOCK | Peoples Energy Analytics, Founder & CEO

peoplesenergyanalytics.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Peoples Energy Analytics is a SaaS platform utilizing an algorithm capable of analyzing energy use data from millions of households which provides a unique understanding of the energy challenges of the people living in those homes.

DANIELA OSIO | Kloopify, Co-Founder & CEO

kloopify.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Kloopify provides value chain visibility and leverages the right impact data to drive reductions by integrating into procurement activities, from contract management to SRM – Operationalizing sustainability within procurement.

JENNIFER PRICE | Disability Media Network, Founder & CEO

dimenetworktv.com

Westmoreland County, Murrysville, PA

Disability Media Network is a streaming network with entertaining content by and for the disabled community. They are a one-stop shop for businesses seeking a disabled audience and disabled viewers seeking relatable content.

The INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH FOUNDER SHOWCASE will also feature Ascender member company, Asher Informatics, and its co-founders Charlotte Kalafut and John Kalafut.  

As part of the Founder Showcase attendees will be encouraged to offer up opportunities, resources, or introductions to help support the growth and success of the presenting companies. Attendees will also be invited to connect with the  participating Co-Investor Panelists. 

“Every founder has a story that could change the world. Since no one is an island, I challenge the community to collectively propel their ventures and share what you’re working on at this exciting event,” says Nadyli Nuñez, Executive Director at Ascender. “One new connection can completely change a founder’s trajectory – be a part of that movement because I can assure you, you’ll be part of that success too.”

Register today! (InvestInWomenPittsburgh.eventbrite.com)

Contact

For media inquiries and more information about Chloe Capital and the 2024 Invest In Women x Pittsburgh accelerator, participating founders and Co-Investor Panelists, please contact:

Kristina Klaas, Operating Partner, Chloe Capital

info@chloecapital.com

About Chloe Capital

Chloe Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in women-led technology companies. In addition to investing with a gender and diversity lens, Chloe Capital partners with universities, corporations and foundations like ECMC Foundation and the Richard King Mellon Foundation to host programs that help catalyze fundraising efforts for underrepresented founders. This collaborative approach to early stage investing has resulted in millions raised. Today, more than 40,000 people around the world have joined Chloe Capital’s Movement to #InvestInWomen. ChloeCapital.com 

About Ascender

Ascender, a 501(c)3 located in East Liberty, is Pittsburgh’s vibrant community dedicated to fostering collective success, and empowering tech, tech-enabled, and mainstreet founders to achieve their full potential. Through an unwavering “listen more than tell” approach, financial focus, dynamic education programming, and an integrated coworking community hub, Ascender provides a safe place and collaborative support for entrepreneurs at the early stages of their journey.  Ascenderpgh.com 

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation

Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2020 year-end endowment was $3.1 billion, and its Trustees in 2020 disbursed $130 million in grants and Program Related Investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan. RKMF.org 

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Five Women-Led Companies Receive Access to Capital, Resources and Networks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pittsburgh, PA, April 17, 2024 –Chloe Capital, a Movement-driven venture capital firm, has selected five women-led technology companies to participate in INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH this Spring. This unique fundraising experience for underrepresented founders is in partnership with Ascender, a nonprofit incubator for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs, and supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The Pittsburgh technology ecosystem is attracting new and exciting companies and investors.  Despite a national decline in venture capital fundraising, “Pittsburgh saw the second-highest year on record investment in its tech economy,” according to a recently released report by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) and Innovation Works. 

To help move the needle, five women entrepreneurs from the Pittsburgh area have been chosen to participate in INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH. Each receives the opportunity to connect with national leaders across industries, hear critical feedback on how to grow their businesses, and potentially receive investment from Chloe Capital and the Firm’s community of impact investors. By the end of the program, Chloe Capital will make at least one investment in a company located in, or willing to relocate to, Allegheny or Westmoreland counties. 

Investors and community members are invited to the Founder Showcase, which will take place May 8, 2024 at Google in Bakery Square. This is more than just a showcase; this is a new way to elevate founders by drawing from our collective expertise to power up our founders to reach their next milestones. More details to come. 

“The caliber of applicants for the 2024 Invest In Women x Pittsburgh cohort was outstanding,” said Chloe Capital Managing Director, Elisa Miller-Out. “The applicants represented a wide-variety of industries and showcased the catalytic growth within the Pittsburgh innovation ecosystem over the last two years.”

The inaugural Invest In Women x Pittsburgh program took place in 2022 and the five participating cohort companies went on to raise over $9.5 million. Chloe Capital continues to provide access to mentorship, investor introductions, and resources. 

The founders selected to participate in the second INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH program include:

ANNE GERMAIN, PhD | NOCTEM Health, CEO & Founder

noctemhealth.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

NOCTEM Health is creating digital solutions that drive patient workflows and scale the best and safest behavioral sleep treatments by 12X. Carpe Noctem!

ANNA LI | Korion Health, CEO & Co-Founder

korionhealth.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Korion Health is enabling at-home health screenings in a technically and culturally competent way to reduce preventable deaths from heart disease.

DESTENIE NOCK | Peoples Energy Analytics, Founder & CEO

peoplesenergyanalytics.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Peoples Energy Analytics is a SaaS platform utilizing an algorithm capable of analyzing energy use data from millions of households which provides a unique understanding of the energy challenges of the people living in those homes.

DANIELA OSIO | Kloopify, Co-Founder & CEO

kloopify.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Kloopify provides value chain visibility and leverages the right impact data to drive reductions by integrating into procurement activities, from contract management to SRM – Operationalizing sustainability within procurement.

JENNIFER PRICE | Disability Media Network, Founder & CEO

dimenetworktv.com

Westmoreland County, Murrysville, PA

Disability Media Network is a streaming network with entertaining content by and for the disabled community. They are a one-stop shop for businesses seeking a disabled audience and disabled viewers seeking relatable content.

“Each year Ascender impacts hundreds of entrepreneurs across many industries,” said Nadyli Nuñez, executive director at Ascender. “Through our continued partnership with Chloe Capital and the Richard King Mellon Foundation we’re honored to highlight some of the region’s top performing, technology companies that are also led by women. The talent is beyond impressive and I’m excited to witness the growth of these companies over the next few months.” 

Economic development has been a primary focus of the Richard King Mellon Foundation since its founding, and the Foundation’s Strategic Plan includes a specific focus on entrepreneurship as an essential pillar of its economic-development efforts. The Foundation’s renewed investment in the Invest In Women x Pittsburgh accelerator demonstrates a commitment to building the region’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem and creating opportunities for under-represented groups to jumpstart or grow entrepreneurship efforts.” 

For media inquiries and more information about Chloe Capital and the 2024 Invest In Women x Pittsburgh accelerator, please contact:

Contact

Kristina Klaas, Operating Partner, Chloe Capital

info@chloecapital.com

About Chloe Capital

Chloe Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in women-led technology companies. In addition to investing with a gender and diversity lens, Chloe Capital partners with universities, corporations and foundations like ECMC Foundation and the Richard King Mellon Foundation to host programs that help catalyze fundraising efforts for underrepresented founders. This collaborative approach to early stage investing has resulted in millions raised. Today, more than 40,000 people around the world have joined Chloe Capital’s Movement to #InvestInWomen. ChloeCapital.com 

About Ascender

Ascender, a 501(c)3 located in East Liberty, is Pittsburgh’s vibrant community dedicated to fostering collective success, and empowering tech, tech-enabled, and mainstreet founders to achieve their full potential. Through an unwavering “listen more than tell” approach, financial focus, dynamic education programming, and an integrated coworking community hub, Ascender provides a safe place and collaborative support for entrepreneurs at the early stages of their journey.  Ascenderpgh.com 

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation

Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2020 year-end endowment was $3.1 billion, and its Trustees in 2020 disbursed $130 million in grants and Program Related Investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan. RKMF.org 

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